tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15456688.post116339538856522100..comments2024-03-27T15:47:17.599+04:00Comments on UAE Community Blog: Dubai, the Retail Meccasecretdubaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13115610824191031176noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15456688.post-1163679106760684432006-11-16T16:11:00.000+04:002006-11-16T16:11:00.000+04:00I remember the great anticipation we Americans fel...I remember the great anticipation we Americans felt when Bur Juman announced that Saks 5th Avenue was coming to town. My god! I would finally be able to buy good quality clothes that actually fit and weren't some 'Designer/Fashion victim' Size 0 offerings from the boutiques or the chintzy, no shoulders/big hips offerings from the local British department stores. Huzzah! And then this so-called Saks arrived. What a huge disappointment. If Harrod's showed up, it would be more of the same, I'm sure. Shopping in this so-called shopping mecca sux.Mme Cynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00270050276741592376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15456688.post-1163489396831018252006-11-14T11:29:00.000+04:002006-11-14T11:29:00.000+04:00Harvey Nicks is a graveyard, as are all of the big...Harvey Nicks is a graveyard, as are all of the big multi-brand dept stores.<BR/><BR/>And look at it. Harvey Nicks watered down its brand (in terms of ignoring the cutting edge which is known for in the UK and concentrating on the sterotypical designer crap so beloved by Dubai's lemmings) so much to come to Dubai and still its too much for people.<BR/><BR/>To be honest - apart from City Centre, Mercato and MoE - which malls actually have a decent customer flow?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15456688.post-1163434260864140782006-11-13T20:11:00.000+04:002006-11-13T20:11:00.000+04:00I dunno. I've been in Harvey Nicks a few times, a...I dunno. I've been in Harvey Nicks a few times, and it's always something of a graveyard.secretdubaihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13115610824191031176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15456688.post-1163433482902334222006-11-13T19:58:00.000+04:002006-11-13T19:58:00.000+04:00Woke, thanks so much for that link. I agree with "...Woke, <BR/><BR/>thanks so much for that link. I agree with "fellow atheist" that Harrod's is misunderestimating the market here. And even if not, they could undertake to educate the market, as the saying goes, about their unique offerings. I stand by my assessment that they are going to show up to the party and, as FA puts it, unfashionably late. <BR/><BR/>Again, Woke, I thank you.<BR/><BR/>thoughtfully,<BR/>starlingStarlinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02286683203356354925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15456688.post-1163429433377175682006-11-13T18:50:00.000+04:002006-11-13T18:50:00.000+04:00I am disppointed that we don't have retailers like...I am disppointed that we don't have retailers like <A HREF="http://www.rossstores.com/" REL="nofollow">Ross - Dress for Less</A>. That was one of my favorites. I am not even going near the Lacoste stores, let alone the designer names.<BR/><BR/>Is everyone shopping for designer clothes these days? Harrod's is wrong. The market is mature enough, and he stands to make a lot of money by coming in here (not that they are anything like Ross). <BR/><BR/>I think they are missing out on an opportunity as a result of over-conservatism. Back before the construction boom happened in Dubai, companies would go to banks in Bahrain to ask for loans to invest in hotels in Dubai. I know from one of the bankers in one of the larger regional banks that they used to laugh at them. "There couldn't possibly be that many people planning to come to Dubai. Sorry." In retrospect, they could have made a lot of money as all those projects succeeded (and well overperformed).<BR/><BR/>I think Harrod's people are the same breed. It's not like he will lose money, but he might find that he will have to come in a little too late.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15456688.post-1163419106809881312006-11-13T15:58:00.000+04:002006-11-13T15:58:00.000+04:00Dubai is doing quite well as far as i am concerned...Dubai is doing quite well as far as i am concerned in retail segment. Anyways, nice article. you can read a nice retail industry research blog at <BR/><BR/>http://www.rncos.com/Blog/retail.html which i found i quite interesting.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15456688.post-1163405258095464512006-11-13T12:07:00.000+04:002006-11-13T12:07:00.000+04:00Harrods reckons that Dubai is an immature market a...Harrods reckons that Dubai is an <A HREF="http://www.itp.net/business/news/details.php?id=22690&category=" REL="nofollow">immature market</A> and the consumers here are not ready for the multi-brand department store format.Wokehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06506371136332079076noreply@blogger.com